


Take Me Home (To the Place I Belong)

by SilverOpals394



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish Loves Ronan Lynch, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Falling In Love, M/M, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch is Bad at Feelings, psychic adam parrish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverOpals394/pseuds/SilverOpals394
Summary: Adam has known for a long time that there's someone out there waiting for him. Someone he'd fall madly in love with, if the vision he'd had about it was accurate. (They were always accurate.)Could that someone be Ronan Lynch, the unfairly attractive man who works at the flower shop below his apartment? The one who might possibly already have a boyfriend that Adam can't stand? Not to mention the way all the flowers are making his allergies go haywire. It probably isn't meant to be.But what if it is?
Relationships: Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish, past Joseph Kavinsky/Ronan Lynch - Relationship
Comments: 11
Kudos: 123





	Take Me Home (To the Place I Belong)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moodyme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moodyme/gifts).
  * Inspired by [let me always be with you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24226813) by [moodyme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moodyme/pseuds/moodyme). 



Adam always told his clients his readings would be accurate, but not specific. It was how he was taught, by the women at Fox Way, and it was nearly always true. 

It even trickled into his own life. Ever since he’d come into his abilities, honed them and understood them, he’d had visions of his own life that could be described as such. 

So he listened to them, and it paid off. He always knew when he was about to fall ill for one reason or another, or when a relationship wasn’t going to work out. He didn’t always know the whys or the hows of it, just that it would happen. 

And then there were the visions that certainly _did_ border on specific. Like when he saw that moving into the first apartment he’d looked at would end in disaster, fighting with the landlord over anything and everything, a never-ending headache. He could literally feel the tension in the air as he took the tour, and so he quickly and politely declined it. 

This apartment he had now was perfect. All he’d felt was positivity from the moment he’d stepped inside. 

Until now. 

Because someone had rented the space below him, and had filled it with what looked like acres of evil histamine producing flowers, which wasted no time in causing his nose to drip like a leaky faucet. 

Adam supposed there were worse things in life.

Not to mention that the evil flowers came with a ridiculously attractive man who ran the shop.

So. He tried not to complain. And he used his vantage point from the window to watch said attractive man on his comings and goings. There was no harm in that, right? He might not be _the one_ but he was nice to look at and there was nothing wrong with ogling while he was still single.

Because Adam knew that there was someone out there, someone who was _the one_ for him. He’d known it for a long time. It was one of his most specific visions he’d ever had, in fact. He’d seen himself proposing with a gold ring, unimaginably happy. Like, actually seen it, from the perspective of whoever it was he was proposing to.

It’d happened in a dream. The beginning of it was hazy, feeling almost like he was in a brain fog. Until suddenly, it was crystal clear. He saw himself sitting on a couch, the words _madly in love_ hanging in the air like a promise. He saw himself pull a ring from his pocket and place it into the hands of someone. 

And then he’d woken, with the warmest feeling inside of him. 

All his life he’d doubted his capacity for love, but now, he knew it was real. 

So when it got really hard being alone, he clung to that. And he sometimes looked at strangers and wondered if they were the one he’d fall madly in love with. 

But so far, squat. So sue him for being appreciative of a nice figure he saw on the regular. Without ever actually speaking to him, he’d learned that his name was Ronan and that he was running the shop for his mother, who he seemed to love more than anything. It was sweet, and something that seemed unexpected if you just took Ronan at face value.

After awhile, though, another guy started hanging around the shop. Never for long, and certainly not enough for Adam to form a real opinion on him. 

Except that he had and he decided he hated him. 

His name was Joseph Kavinsky, and he gave off such negative vibes Adam felt like he needed to be cleansed after an exposure. 

And he was pretty sure he was Ronan’s boyfriend, which was just depressing. Adam had to berate himself time and again for feeling like he had any right to an opinion on who Ronan Lynch dated. 

They hadn’t even spoken one word to each other. 

But sometimes, he felt Ronan looking at him through the shop window. 

And sometimes, he looked back. 

*****

Adam woke one morning with a pounding headache. His sinuses were clogged, and he felt an eternal sneeze forming somewhere inside of him. 

He’d had enough. 

Throwing on the closest and cleanest clothes he could find, he tore down the stairs and directly into the flower shop.

“Are you actively trying to kill me, or what?” he said loudly, without preamble. 

Ronan looked at him with wide eyes. “The fuck are you on about?”

“In case you didn’t know,” Adam said haughtily, “I happen to live directly above your shop here. And all your plants are sending my allergies into overdrive.”

Ronan smirked at him. Asshole.

“I didn’t know about your allergies,” he said, face colored with amusement before turning more serious, “But believe me, I know who you are.”

His eyes wandered up and down Adam’s form appreciatively and Adam froze. Was Ronan… _flirting_ with him? What about his boyfriend?

“Not much I can do about the pollen,” Ronan continued smoothly, “Except maybe take you somewhere we can get you some fresh air.”

Again, Adam was frozen. What the actual fuck? Wasn’t he supposed to be psychic? How had he not seen this coming?

“Um,” he said pathetically. It was too early for this. 

“Or not,” Ronan said, holding up his hands.

“ _No_ ,” Adam said quickly, “I mean, yes. I mean, wait, let’s start over.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow at him.

“Are you… asking me out?” Adam asked.

“Are you opposed to that?”

“No,” Adam said, smiling. “Maybe you should do it again.”

“All right,” Ronan said, smiling himself. “Adam Parrish, would you like to go on a date with me?”

His smile grew. “I’d love to.”

*****

Dating Ronan Lynch was like nothing Adam had ever experienced. Most of the time it was relentless energy, happiness bubbling up from the least expected places. 

It was quiet, and tender, sometimes. 

It was always warm. 

And yeah, the flowers weren’t going anywhere. But he didn’t seem to mind so much anymore. Whenever he needed to go inside the shop for whatever reason, he’d cover his face with his shirt. (And then uncover it, so he could kiss his boyfriend.)

It was working. And Adam began to hope. The more time he spent with Ronan, the more certain he was becoming that Ronan was the one he’d been looking for. He’d never been so happy.

That is, until the day he’d come home earlier than usual, stopping at the shop to surprise Ronan and gotten a surprise himself. 

Through the window he’d spent so much time looking at Ronan, he could now see Kavinsky. And how he was kissing Ronan, pushing him up against the counter. As he watched the scene in front of him, Adam felt so cold inside he couldn’t stand it. Ronan broke off from the kiss then, and looked up to see Adam staring. His eyes widened.

Ronan had insisted there was nothing there, not anymore at least. He said he didn’t even like being around the guy, that he was just a part of his past that refused to be buried. 

And Adam had believed him. How stupid he’d been. 

He cried himself to sleep that night, ignoring the incessant buzzing of Ronan calling him.

*****

The next morning, when Adam opened his door to head down the stairs, he found Ronan sitting on the floor, eyes red like he’d been crying too.

“Lynch,” he said stiffly.

“Adam,” Ronan said, voice cracking. 

He looked so pitiful Adam had to fight the urge to reach out for him. 

“I know what you think you saw,” he said quietly.

Adam crossed his arms. “What I _think_ I saw? I’m not an idiot, Ronan. I know what I saw.”

“Please let me explain, Adam,” he said, looking up at him through those long lashes of his. 

Adam closed his eyes. _Damn him._

“Come inside, then,” Adam sighed, stepping back into the apartment.

Ronan followed, somber. He sat on Adam’s couch and took a deep breath. Adam remained standing.

“I just want you to know that I never lied to you. Everything I said about him was true.”

 _Was_ true, Adam noted. Maybe not so much anymore.

“Okay.”

Ronan nodded. “Okay. So like I said, he’s… he…”

“Breathe, Ronan,” Adam said, finally sitting down and reaching out for his boyfriend. He was hurt, and he was angry, but everything always felt better when he was touching Ronan in some capacity.

Ronan took another breath and then reached for Adam’s hands. 

“Adam,” he began, “You have to know how I feel about you—”

“No,” Adam said, cutting him off, and releasing his hold. “That’s not what I want to hear right now.”

Ronan looked at him, eyes full of sadness. He closed them, and when he opened them again the sadness was replaced with determination.

“Look, what I’m trying to tell you is that I love you, okay? I love you, Adam. You.”

Adam stared at him, anger coursing through his veins. This was _not_ how he’d envisioned this moment.

“And I don’t care what I have to do to prove that to you. I’ll do whatever it takes, I don’t care. But please _, please_ believe me when I tell you that Kavinsky came onto _me_ , and I pushed him away.”

 _Only because you saw me through the window,_ Adam’s traitorous thoughts whispered.

“Why’d you push him away?” he asked.

“Did you not hear what I just said?” Ronan replied, sounding a little exasperated. “I don’t want to be with him. I only want to be with you.”

And what was Adam to do? He could believe Ronan, or he could not. He hated that he didn’t know which was the better option.

After a few moments of stewing in silence, Ronan released a breath and then stood.

“I’ll give you some space,” he said, defeated. He walked to the door. “Call me when you’re ready to talk about it.”

“I will,” Adam said softly, watching the door close.

 _I love you too,_ he thought.

*****

The next day, Adam found a single white peony outside his door, along with a card that simply said: 

_Don’t worry, it’s hypoallergenic. Love, Ronan_

Adam knew there was more to this flower, though. He knew what it meant. Ronan had once told him all about the different meanings behind each flower. He’d never be able to remember all of them, but this one stood out.

_“What’s this one mean?” Adam had asked, pointing at the white flower._

_“Ah, this is the ‘please forgive me for being a literal dumpster fire of a horrible human being’ flower,” Ronan had responded._

Adam had laughed, that day. He wasn’t laughing anymore.

He threw it in the trash.

*****

The next morning, there was another, this time without a note. Adam laid it on the counter. Somehow that felt acceptably far enough away from throwing it out and still not as welcoming as putting it in a vase. It didn’t make him feel any better. 

The third day, there was yet another white peony waiting on his doorstep. He put it next to the one from the day before and headed down the stairs.

“Adam!” came a bright voice from the sidewalk, “Just the man I wanted to see!”

“Oh, hello, Aurora,” Adam said, feeling awkward. He generally liked being around Ronan’s mother, but now was not the time for her unique brand of joy. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, someone’s got to run the shop while Ronan’s sick,” she said with a worried sort of smile.

“He’s sick?” Adam asked, hating how anxious he suddenly felt.

“He didn’t tell you?” she asked, puzzled. She had every right. Ronan usually told him everything. Or he’d thought.

“We’ve been… crossing our wires lately.”

“Hmm,” Aurora answered, looking at him like she was trying to figure him out. “Well, I’m sure whatever it is, he’d still want you there. He looked miserable the last time I saw him.”

Adam’s heart sank.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.

Later, when Adam couldn’t get the image of Ronan alone and heartbroken out of his mind, he realized he was done being upset. He was ready to move on from this, and he wanted to come out the other side with his relationship intact. He hoped that would be the case, praying his heart was right, that Ronan was telling the truth.

So he called Ronan and asked him to come over, and Ronan had quickly agreed. 

This time, when Ronan told him once more how much Adam meant to him, and how Kavinsky didn’t, Adam found it easier than ever to believe it was the truth. He could see it in his eyes, how much he deeply cared. How much he loved Adam.

In the morning, before Ronan woke, Adam snuck downstairs and used the spare key to let himself into the flower shop. He picked a single yellow peony and brought it back up to the apartment with him. 

Ronan was standing in the kitchen. He eyed the flower in Adam’s hand.

“For you,” Adam said, and handed it to the man he loved.

Ronan’s eyes filled with tears. Because he knew.

Yellow peonies were for new beginnings.

*****

A few weeks later, Adam and Ronan were walking hand in hand down the street when Adam froze in his tracks.

“What?” Ronan said, confused.

Behind him, in the window display, was a gold ring. Adam would know it anywhere. 

“Nothing,” Adam said, shaking his head and smiling, “Just thought of something I need to add to my shopping list.”


End file.
